ESD Behavior of AlGaN/GaN Schottky Diodes

This experimental study reports behavior of Ni/Au-based AlGaN/GaN Schottky diodes under ESD conditions. A comparative study of diodes with/without recessed Schottky contact unfolds different degradation physics in each case. The impact of different current conduction mechanisms, device degradation and trap generation on its robustness are analyzed. The role of interface traps under ESD failure of the GaN Schottky diode is investigated. The transition from soft-to-hard failure, which is found to depend on the presence of traps, and diode design is discussed. New insights into degradation trends, cumulative nature of degradation, and trap-assisted failure modes are discovered.